Eupen Muslims Reportedly Declare Jihad on Ukrainians

A dispute between children in Eupen, Belgium, escalated into a mass brawl involving adults, during which a 42-year-old Syrian man died after being shot by police. According to media reports, including those published by the Union of Orthodox Journalists (SPZh), the incident took place on 30 August in a city park.

During the brawl, the Syrian man allegedly failed to comply with police orders, armed himself with a butcher's knife from a nearby kebab stand, and charged at those involved in the conflict. Police then opened fire and wounded him. He later died of his injuries.

Ukrainian journalist Rostislav Demchuk has claimed that threats against Ukrainians began circulating among members of the local Muslim community after the incident. He described them as a declaration of jihad, alleging that the group vowed to kill all Ukrainians living in the city.

However, Demchuk said Belgian media had not reported these threats.

The Belgian prosecutor's office has launched two investigations. One concerns the mass brawl itself, while the other aims to determine whether the police officer's use of a firearm was justified. The prosecutor's office said one of the brawl's participants also sustained a stab wound, though it was not life-threatening.

(fb, spzh, sab)